Creativity: in conversation with jewellery maker Kate Hirst-Bennett

Welcome to yet another instalment of Creativity: in conversation. Today I speak with Kate Hirst-Bennett, who is an emerging jewellery maker (@lost_love_club), with creativity and art in her DNA. I got so much from this conversation including insight into how hard it is to get started as a maker including buying and selling your materials. What I loved most about this conversation is why Kate is doing this: “Lost Love Club is about reconnecting with the joy of creating for the sake of expression—not approval.” More of this please, for us all!

Can you tell me about how you landed on the concept of Lost Love Club?

I have always been a naturally creative person. From childhood, I loved to draw and create—it's just something in my DNA, I suppose. I loved art at school; it was my favourite subject, and I also studied Art Direction at university.

I have worked as a creative professional in my career too, as a graphic designer and sometimes a photographer. But I ended up moving away from it because turning it into work—ruled by someone else’s opinion of whether it was “good” or having to listen to someone else’s creative input (often someone who wasn’t paid or trained in that practice)—took the enjoyment out of it. (Bitter much, Kate?!). Maybe my ego was too sensitive. It's hard to take criticism about something you’ve poured your heart and soul into and truly believe in.

So really, Lost Love Club was born out of my lost love for creativity from that time— and trying to re-establish it as something positive. And the “club” part? Well, I’d like the people who buy into that idea to become part of my club. Maybe one day I will build a community out of that who knows.

I wanted to create a space where I could share my creations and express myself. This didn’t necessarily have to be jewellery (which is what I'm mainly doing now)—it could be anything. Anything I decide to do on a creative whim!

Lost Love Club is about reconnecting with the joy of creating for the sake of expression—not approval.

Can you tell me how you advocate for your own work? How do you take up space, ensure you are paid/ decide on what to charge? What about this makes you feel uncomfortable, if anything, and how do you navigate this, particularly as a woman?

I’m just starting out in jewellery-making, so I’m really at the beginning of my journey—sharing the pieces I’ve created online and seeing if people are interested and like them. I mostly do this through my Instagram account, @lost_love_club. Social media platforms are easily accessible, have a wide reach, and don’t cost anything unless you choose to advertise.

But connections can happen in person too. I love the jewellery pieces I create, so I wear them—and sometimes they catch people’s attention, which (if I’m honest) is a bit of a thrill! It actually happened recently at a work event, and it gained me a few followers and gave me the opportunity to talk about my jewellery-making.

This interview might be one of my first real pieces of advocacy—and if you’re reading this, listen to me: I’m very wise and important! Follow your dreams!

At the moment, I can’t charge for my work because I haven’t registered a hallmark yet. Legally, to sell precious metal jewellery in the UK, your pieces must be hallmarked by an assay office. There are exemptions for very, very small pieces under 7.78 grams (for silver), but otherwise, it’s a legal requirement.

There’s a cost to registering a hallmark, and there’s a fee every time you send a batch of jewellery to be tested and hallmarked—so it’s a bit of a chicken-and-egg situation for me right now in terms of selling my creations. But if I do decide to start charging, those are the kinds of costs I’d need to factor in—things people don’t always think about when buying handmade jewellery. There’s a cost for advertising, hallmarking, tools, materials, and the time spent making each piece. The list goes on. That said, I don’t think I’d feel particularly uncomfortable about charging.

What are your sources of creative inspiration?

I absolutely love and have always loved Mid-Century Modern, Modernist, and Brutalist jewellery. The design, the nostalgia, the 1940s to 1960s—just that entire era of design is honestly heaven to me. It’s so cool: the architecture, the furniture, just all of it! It resonates with me for some reason.

Brutalist jewellery is very raw, organic, and unapologetically bold with texture and structure. Modernist jewellery, on the other hand, is more pared-back and abstract—and I take inspiration from both. I think I lean more naturally towards the Brutalist style, but I also love the simplicity and sculptural nature of Modernist jewellery. Hopefully, my future work will reflect that.

As someone who often finds change difficult, I’m massively into nostalgia and the feeling it brings. It’s magical and comforting, and sometimes an object can evoke that. It’s a treasure—a little gem that takes you back in time. And the objects that evokes that should be treasured too. I would love to somehow capture that feeling in my work.

Gemstones inspire me, anyone who really knows me will absolutely tell you I’m a magpie—I love shiny things. But not just any shiny things: diamonds of all colours, sapphires, emeralds, rubies, semi-precious stones in every shade—you name it, I love it. If I could go back in time, I would have studied gemology. It’s absolutely in my DNA; I have no idea why.

As a child, I used to inspect my grandmother’s rings and ask to try them on. She was very fortunate and had the most magnificent jewellery—an aquamarine the size of a chicken’s egg (or so it felt at the time!), huge diamond rings… it was jewellery heaven! I would wait until everyone went to bed and creep around looking for them. Sometimes she’d leave them in the kitchen, and I would put one on every finger and pose in front of the mirror, holding my hand to my face. I still ask to try on my Mum’s rings to this day when I see her.

As a result, sometimes I come across a stone that’s just so beautiful that, due to my obsession, I want to make jewellery just to house it!

I’m not solely tied to one inspiration, though. Honestly, it could be anything that influences me—a place, something I’ve seen walking down the street, or a random idea that pops into my head. Whether that idea turns into something tangible and aesthetically pleasing is another matter entirely—but that’s part of the fun.

Where do you create, can you describe the space in which you work when coming up with your own designs? What is it about this that feels important or significant to you?

My husband and I recently moved to the East coast of Yorkshire and in our new home I am lucky enough to have an office for my full-time work as a Website and Digital Communications Manager but it also doubles as a creative space for me. Its small, has a mid-century modern desk, and orange velvet sofa, with some of my favourite pictures on the wall, its mine and that's significant and important to me. It’s important to me to have a space that's just mine I can keep all the things that bring me joy in it and lock yourself away for a couple of hours and not be disturbed. When my full time work is over I can push my laptop aside and I can start creating my jewellery.

The space I come up with ideas could be anywhere. I often scribble rough sketches into the notes app on my mobile phone when I'm on the go and not in that space, then I use an iPad to flesh out those ideas later on at home.

What are some of your creative challenges?

Jewellery-making is an expensive creative medium—not just because of the materials, but also because of the training required to match your creative ideas with the technical skills needed to bring them to life. It takes time, dedication, and often a significant financial investment. Recently, I’ve been looking into online courses to improve my skills, and they can cost up to £4,000, including materials. In that sense, it can feel like an elitist practice—unless you decide from a young age that you want to pursue it and manage to get an apprenticeship. Otherwise, it can be difficult to access without substantial financial support.

What trends or patterns across your industry have you noticed since establishing your business?

A massive trend currently—and for quite some time—is the rise in popularity of gold jewellery. I think this harks back to nostalgia in some ways too: the heirloom feel of gold, rather than silver. It’s also likely linked to growing concerns around sustainability in general, especially in jewellery, and the trend toward conscious consumerism. Gold is recyclable, durable, and holds its value over time, so it's seen as a smarter investment.

But let me tell you, that trend doesn’t make things easy for someone who’s just starting out in the industry (as I am). Yes, gold holds its value—but it’s also extremely expensive. There are no truly viable affordable alternatives to gold as a metal for making jewellery, and this is a challenge I’ve been facing recently. I would love to produce gold jewellery—or even just gold-coloured pieces—but alternatives like bronze or copper react to oxygen, making them less appealing and far less durable.

What’s on the horizon for you? Where do you want to take your designs and creativity next?

The world is my oyster. World domination! Only kidding. I would just love to keep creating jewellery, keep learning the craft, and keep making for the moment—hoping people like it. Maybe it will turn into a business, maybe it won’t. As long as I’m enjoying myself, that’s all that matters.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with me about your creative life as a female creative?
You'll just have follow my journey on Instagram to find out more: @lost_love_club

All photo credits go to Kate Hirst-Bennett.